I just looked at my stats for my blog and saw that someone viewed my page form Jordan! Very cool cause it's one of my favorite countries. Maybe it's even someone in my family. Yeah yeah he's my ex-husband, but my daughters are part Palestinian and all of their cousins and aunts and uncles, well I didn't divorce all of them! Viva Palestine! My favorite thing in Jordan was seeing these things called wazirs...yeah I'm sure I spelled it wrong- sounds like wha-zeer. Anyway it's a small stone thing with fresh water in it, in the very very olden days when travelers were passing thru, walking of course, they could stop for a cool drink of water. Just because. No cost, no obligation, just some water for a thirsty person walking by. Very cool. Of course there was lots of other cool stuff, like the Dead Sea, and these ruins which I have forgotten the name of, no I think maybe Jareesh- they were right in or very near Amman, we toured that area with a kid, I think his name was Aher, and he had followed the tour guides around and learned the spiel, so he could do it himself. he was very good, a really smart kid, and at the end some officials chased him away, but nicely, and we were still able to pay him. He wanted to address all his comments to the American woman ha ha- he called me Madam. I also really enjoyed another place - Petra (where that scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark was filmed). This is a city built into the rock, so fantastic, we rode thru on camels, except for Drewy, who was scared to climb on a camel and rode a donkey ha ha. Jordan is an amazing country full of beautiful people. Ok bye for now.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Interesting week. The cool thing is that we are finally painting. It's almost done. Purple, green, red, and a melon orange. The green is only for the kitchen, but it seems like there maybe left over everything, so the dining room might get painted, too. Yippee. Red for the one big wall. Purple for the shorter wall that has the recess in it, green for the wall with the arch....anyway I am so happy to be making this a home. It really brightened it up too. The whole house I mean- it's kinda small and I was worried that bright colors would make it seem smaller, but it doesn't. Now I gotta figure out where to put all the photos and pictures. Which also means it's time to get the glass fixed in my favorite picture- it's these 3 women riding bicycles. I paid $10 for it 26 years ago in a second hand store. I know it was 26 years ago, cause Drewy was 1 year old and she and I just moved to our own apartment and I went to the second hand store looking for things I could afford ha ha. Those ladies looked free, happy, ready to take on the world and it was exactly what I needed at the time. I had them ever since, its been up in every place I lived in. It was up in the living room in Playa Ventura, and then the glass got cracked on the way up here. I gave Drewy some of the artwork we had in Petaluma, and only saved a Peter Max lithograph which is in our bedroom, it's the only thing worth money....and a copy of a Monet I saw in the Impressionist museum in Paris- the one kinda next to the Louve. It is lilies and a bridge, I actually got choked up when I saw it in person.
It's funny, tomorrow we will be here 2 months, and I feel more at home than I did after 6 months in Playa Ventura. I kept trying to "make PV my home", you know? Make it. But you just can't force things to be what you want them to be....I've certainly tried that enough times in my life ha ha. And yeah the easy answer is that there are English speakers here, and consistent internet, consistent telephone, consistent tv, consistent electricity, oh and AA meetings... I feel safe driving, it's safe to go out at nite time, the stores always have dairy products like milk and you can always find eggs. HA HA is that the EASY answer? Well it does sum it up pretty good. And the fact is I'm not around all that much English, really only at AA, and I go to both English & Spanish meetings. But it is there, and I know I can find it. Well and the other thing is this community center. I'm getting pretty attached out there and I like it alot.
Oh, well I guess the director out there speaks English, and her main assistant (I guess that's what she is) is Mexican and speaks English. Teaching the kids is kinda like Playa Ventura- I mostly teach the same thing over and over cause I don't get the same kids 2 days in a row... A couple know a few words in English, but I can also see I need to get more creative- they like shouting out the colors with the flash cards, and are slowly learning the days of the week, but it's too much of just words on the paper. So I'm thinking next week to bring some fruits and maybe veges- like a banana, a red apple, a green apple, an orange, ....give one thing to each kid and say ok this is you. Banana. Get them to learn their fruit, then try to do the other kids....I don't know, but they wanted to color the other day and we all colored a picture of a dog, and the I'd ask what the color was in English. They all thought mine was so funny cause I used blue and red and green...The other thing that surprised me was, I was trying to teach them eyes, ears, nose, mouth, etc, so I had a small white board and drew a face on it, with hair, and teeth, too. Someone asked if it was me so I said yes. Then they all thought that was hilarious and one had to write Teresa (they call me Teresa cause it's easier to say than Terry), and wanted to put earrings, and fix my eyes and stuff. I need a bigger whiteboard ha ha!!
Yeah a bigger whiteboard would be great- too bad I left it in Playa Ventura. But you know what? These kids just need attention. I mean yeah, it's good to learn English, and they are learning some words, but I am no teacher, and if I discipline them or "make them" do it, they simply won't come back, so I need to make it fun. And it seems to me, that what Karen has said, and now Anida (the assistant) say is true. Just spend time with them, give them attention. Anida, and I shouldn't say assistant cause this woman does everything, she makes the food they serve every day- or supervises it, she works on English with this women who are indigenous Mexicans- Indians I think- who don't speak Spanish- maybe Mayan or Aztec language (yeah I need to study Mexican history I know), she translates for everyone, coordinates activities, assigns jobs, etc. Anyway she told me I am helping her cause on top of everything else, the kids were constantly asking her for anything, everything. She said the parents don't pay attention to them, they just need to touch you, to hug, to hold your hand. This I can do. I know that some parents are trying to work, some have soooo many kids, some are struggling to survive and trying, but they are just so down trodden....I am not the judge of anyone and especially not these people. I don't believe any of them are simply selfish and ignoring their kids. This is a hard life for these people. In fact it is heartbreaking. I'm kinda overwhelmed by how hard their lives are. I drive out to this area, it's a neighborhood, and some houses (termed loosely) are cardboard and wood planks- like from a fence, some are random pieces of wood nailed together. Maybe a camper shell, a trailer here and there. Some are houses, and there are some of the gov't houses- which I saw inside when we first got here- small but efficient...there's an old man, in his 80's that lives in his old car.
And I guess the "missions" people do help, cause I gave a ride home to a guy the other day; he had done 200 hours of service at (I think) the community center, or somewhere out there- he lived in a camper shell, and they built him a house. He proudly showed it to my friend Anda and I; it was 2 rooms, just like the ones that my daughter Halla and built in Rosarita when we came down with a friend's church group a few years ago. He was very proud cause he had a real bed. This guy is probly in his 60's, maybe younger but just made old by his environment, but he was happy. I had to not choke up when we were there. Sometimes I have to detach...ok lots of the time I have to detach; I know I cannot fix everything and/or everyone. I think I said here before that the frst time I went to Thailand I was so upset when I got home. There is just so much poverty in this world. So many have nots. I am a have. We need to share. So I will stick with this community center. You know it's so hard sometimes- I mean the US give billions to other countries every freaking year. Why do they not want to help their neighbor- Mexico? Help Mexico build up their infrastructure, create a sustainable economy? Create jobs? If Mexicans had jobs, had some kind of way to feed their families, get an education, do you think so many would come to the states? I KNOW the answer to this folks. I lived all my life in California, where we have lots and lots of Mexican, legally and not so much. The Mexican people I talk to tell me- of course they would rather live in their country, but what would you do to feed your kids? Young people tell me they want education, to make some money. That the opportunities in the states are so much better. They have hope. So why don't we help them to help themselves? Well I guess it's the fucked up politics of both nations. I believe the US govt is happy with the drug trade, and both sides make money. I know it's much more than that, but whatever it is, it is about money power and greed for the few, and screw the many.
There's a lady here who is part of the solution, she works with Karen (the lady at the center), and she was complaining about the attitude of some of the people she's trying to help. Now as far as I know she was just grumbling, cause her life is this thing- helping, and spending her own money to provide resources and time. They are trying to help these women find ways to be productive, make things that they sell, teach some business training classes so they cam make their own business. Provide things to help people start up a business, like hot dog carts, or washing machines. So she is very dedicated, and I'm sure she was just tired and frustrated. But there are so many factors. These are people who have lived in poverty all their lives, maybe generations. People who have nothing and if these crazy American women want to give them things- they will take them. She can't understand why if they have a dollar today, they spend it today- well hell maybe they won't have it tomorrow. I think a few will be able to understand the business concepts, a few will care, some will continue to simply survive. There are so many pieces of it that I can't define, some that I don't understand or am even aware of. Life here is soooo different. And yet I feel like I belong here. For now. I am also lucky cause I'm married to a Mexican who can see things maybe we cannot, at least at first. So I'm gonna stick with these women for now, see how/where I can contribute.
Oh- the new neighbor didn't show up until tonite so I have no report. I guess they had a tough time finding their way here.....welcome to Mexico...where everything is possible AND everything is hard.
It's funny, tomorrow we will be here 2 months, and I feel more at home than I did after 6 months in Playa Ventura. I kept trying to "make PV my home", you know? Make it. But you just can't force things to be what you want them to be....I've certainly tried that enough times in my life ha ha. And yeah the easy answer is that there are English speakers here, and consistent internet, consistent telephone, consistent tv, consistent electricity, oh and AA meetings... I feel safe driving, it's safe to go out at nite time, the stores always have dairy products like milk and you can always find eggs. HA HA is that the EASY answer? Well it does sum it up pretty good. And the fact is I'm not around all that much English, really only at AA, and I go to both English & Spanish meetings. But it is there, and I know I can find it. Well and the other thing is this community center. I'm getting pretty attached out there and I like it alot.
Oh, well I guess the director out there speaks English, and her main assistant (I guess that's what she is) is Mexican and speaks English. Teaching the kids is kinda like Playa Ventura- I mostly teach the same thing over and over cause I don't get the same kids 2 days in a row... A couple know a few words in English, but I can also see I need to get more creative- they like shouting out the colors with the flash cards, and are slowly learning the days of the week, but it's too much of just words on the paper. So I'm thinking next week to bring some fruits and maybe veges- like a banana, a red apple, a green apple, an orange, ....give one thing to each kid and say ok this is you. Banana. Get them to learn their fruit, then try to do the other kids....I don't know, but they wanted to color the other day and we all colored a picture of a dog, and the I'd ask what the color was in English. They all thought mine was so funny cause I used blue and red and green...The other thing that surprised me was, I was trying to teach them eyes, ears, nose, mouth, etc, so I had a small white board and drew a face on it, with hair, and teeth, too. Someone asked if it was me so I said yes. Then they all thought that was hilarious and one had to write Teresa (they call me Teresa cause it's easier to say than Terry), and wanted to put earrings, and fix my eyes and stuff. I need a bigger whiteboard ha ha!!
Yeah a bigger whiteboard would be great- too bad I left it in Playa Ventura. But you know what? These kids just need attention. I mean yeah, it's good to learn English, and they are learning some words, but I am no teacher, and if I discipline them or "make them" do it, they simply won't come back, so I need to make it fun. And it seems to me, that what Karen has said, and now Anida (the assistant) say is true. Just spend time with them, give them attention. Anida, and I shouldn't say assistant cause this woman does everything, she makes the food they serve every day- or supervises it, she works on English with this women who are indigenous Mexicans- Indians I think- who don't speak Spanish- maybe Mayan or Aztec language (yeah I need to study Mexican history I know), she translates for everyone, coordinates activities, assigns jobs, etc. Anyway she told me I am helping her cause on top of everything else, the kids were constantly asking her for anything, everything. She said the parents don't pay attention to them, they just need to touch you, to hug, to hold your hand. This I can do. I know that some parents are trying to work, some have soooo many kids, some are struggling to survive and trying, but they are just so down trodden....I am not the judge of anyone and especially not these people. I don't believe any of them are simply selfish and ignoring their kids. This is a hard life for these people. In fact it is heartbreaking. I'm kinda overwhelmed by how hard their lives are. I drive out to this area, it's a neighborhood, and some houses (termed loosely) are cardboard and wood planks- like from a fence, some are random pieces of wood nailed together. Maybe a camper shell, a trailer here and there. Some are houses, and there are some of the gov't houses- which I saw inside when we first got here- small but efficient...there's an old man, in his 80's that lives in his old car.
And I guess the "missions" people do help, cause I gave a ride home to a guy the other day; he had done 200 hours of service at (I think) the community center, or somewhere out there- he lived in a camper shell, and they built him a house. He proudly showed it to my friend Anda and I; it was 2 rooms, just like the ones that my daughter Halla and built in Rosarita when we came down with a friend's church group a few years ago. He was very proud cause he had a real bed. This guy is probly in his 60's, maybe younger but just made old by his environment, but he was happy. I had to not choke up when we were there. Sometimes I have to detach...ok lots of the time I have to detach; I know I cannot fix everything and/or everyone. I think I said here before that the frst time I went to Thailand I was so upset when I got home. There is just so much poverty in this world. So many have nots. I am a have. We need to share. So I will stick with this community center. You know it's so hard sometimes- I mean the US give billions to other countries every freaking year. Why do they not want to help their neighbor- Mexico? Help Mexico build up their infrastructure, create a sustainable economy? Create jobs? If Mexicans had jobs, had some kind of way to feed their families, get an education, do you think so many would come to the states? I KNOW the answer to this folks. I lived all my life in California, where we have lots and lots of Mexican, legally and not so much. The Mexican people I talk to tell me- of course they would rather live in their country, but what would you do to feed your kids? Young people tell me they want education, to make some money. That the opportunities in the states are so much better. They have hope. So why don't we help them to help themselves? Well I guess it's the fucked up politics of both nations. I believe the US govt is happy with the drug trade, and both sides make money. I know it's much more than that, but whatever it is, it is about money power and greed for the few, and screw the many.
There's a lady here who is part of the solution, she works with Karen (the lady at the center), and she was complaining about the attitude of some of the people she's trying to help. Now as far as I know she was just grumbling, cause her life is this thing- helping, and spending her own money to provide resources and time. They are trying to help these women find ways to be productive, make things that they sell, teach some business training classes so they cam make their own business. Provide things to help people start up a business, like hot dog carts, or washing machines. So she is very dedicated, and I'm sure she was just tired and frustrated. But there are so many factors. These are people who have lived in poverty all their lives, maybe generations. People who have nothing and if these crazy American women want to give them things- they will take them. She can't understand why if they have a dollar today, they spend it today- well hell maybe they won't have it tomorrow. I think a few will be able to understand the business concepts, a few will care, some will continue to simply survive. There are so many pieces of it that I can't define, some that I don't understand or am even aware of. Life here is soooo different. And yet I feel like I belong here. For now. I am also lucky cause I'm married to a Mexican who can see things maybe we cannot, at least at first. So I'm gonna stick with these women for now, see how/where I can contribute.
Oh- the new neighbor didn't show up until tonite so I have no report. I guess they had a tough time finding their way here.....welcome to Mexico...where everything is possible AND everything is hard.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
So the roof is fixed AND we bought the paint. And it rained again, hard, but no leaks. The entire roof has not yet been covered, but Everardo has one bucket of stuff left and will try to get it done tomorrow before any more surprise rain. Cause after this weekend, everyone breathed a sigh of relief that the "freak rain" had passed, and then Sunday nite and yesterday (Monday), it rained.
Ha ha after I added up the expenses plus paying the landlord's water and electric bill, our rent for Fev will be about $24. And that's not counting the paint. I went by myself to get the paint and Poppi wants to choose the rollers & brushes, so it's not all accounted for yet- and I'll just deduct it from March rent. Anyway I'm so excited about the paint. Reds, a melon shade of orange, purple, and green. The green, purple and melon are for the kitchen, purple, red and melon for the living room and the hallway that connects both rooms. We are not painting any other rooms- the dining room or the bedrooms....weeelllll..I bought a gallon of each. Except for the melon, it should be more than enough of the other three...so maybe one wall in the dining room or one wall in our bedroom, vamos a ver. Both bedroom are green, so I wouldn't use the green cause mine is a bright strong color, and our rooms are a light, almost antique green, so only the red or purple would work. Not sure when we will paint, but it will be soon...did I say YIPEE??
We are getting neighbors on Friday from Feb 1 to May 1. I knew we were getting a woman, but I think she is coming with another woman or a friend or someone who is only staying for a little while- but that was according to the landlord who I have already alluded to as a little nutty. I received an email from Tina- the new temporary neighbor, and she said "we brought almost our whole house" so it sounds like family....The thing is we share a yard, the little bungalow is about 25 feet away from us so we will probly interact at least some. We have a fenced and gated yard, a washing machine and a clothes line. Well there's a dryer too, but we don't use it, ha ha don't want to pay for the electricity. We get billed every 2 months, and we just got the bill. It was 326 pesos, so about $26.50 for 2 months, yeah we can deal with that. Of course our heater is gas, and our hot water is gas, and I know at least for the heater we've spent 125 pesos per tank, maybe 4 times in Dec and 4 in Jan (ok 1000 pesos or $81), then the hot water heater lasts 2 months for $13....ok gas for 2 months: $94 + $26.50= $120.50 so $60.25 for gas and electric for 2 months- 2 VERY cold months ha ha. Hopefully by the end of Feb we will drop off the heater. We only use it at nite, but from about 7pm until 7am..ok 12 hours.
Anyway- we will be sharing the outside space, not a big deal- we will just have to be diligent about dog poop duty ha ha. And that's not too hard. As for the outside, I like to sit in a lunge chair and read...altho as soon as it gets warm enough I will begn to campaign for my hammock to be put up. Not as easy as I thought at first, since the trees are not string enough, Poppi will have to put a bolt in the back wall that goes across the yard and the wall of the house. Poor Poppi has a "to do" list that is growing...and I wonder how many cars, if any they will have. I'm kinda asuming at least one, that they're driving down since they are coming from San Diego. Like I said, we'll see. Maybe I'll have first impressions as early as Friday ha ha.
Although Friday I'm going out to the community center to help with inventory of the things the women make to sell at the art fairs.Today was my first Tuesday out there and it went well. Organized chaos I think; before lunch I got a few boys who were competing to do the colors, and after lunch I had a woman who really wants to learn. I worked with her for about an hour,and later this afternoon I was in this stationary stye store and I bought her an English Spanish dictionary. I will have to sneak it to her cause I don't plan on buying one for everyone, but she is so motivated, and I want to help her to help herself. We have some kid dictionaries that I donated to the center for the kids to use. Well I can feel the ice cream calling me from the freezer, so gotta go.
Ha ha after I added up the expenses plus paying the landlord's water and electric bill, our rent for Fev will be about $24. And that's not counting the paint. I went by myself to get the paint and Poppi wants to choose the rollers & brushes, so it's not all accounted for yet- and I'll just deduct it from March rent. Anyway I'm so excited about the paint. Reds, a melon shade of orange, purple, and green. The green, purple and melon are for the kitchen, purple, red and melon for the living room and the hallway that connects both rooms. We are not painting any other rooms- the dining room or the bedrooms....weeelllll..I bought a gallon of each. Except for the melon, it should be more than enough of the other three...so maybe one wall in the dining room or one wall in our bedroom, vamos a ver. Both bedroom are green, so I wouldn't use the green cause mine is a bright strong color, and our rooms are a light, almost antique green, so only the red or purple would work. Not sure when we will paint, but it will be soon...did I say YIPEE??
We are getting neighbors on Friday from Feb 1 to May 1. I knew we were getting a woman, but I think she is coming with another woman or a friend or someone who is only staying for a little while- but that was according to the landlord who I have already alluded to as a little nutty. I received an email from Tina- the new temporary neighbor, and she said "we brought almost our whole house" so it sounds like family....The thing is we share a yard, the little bungalow is about 25 feet away from us so we will probly interact at least some. We have a fenced and gated yard, a washing machine and a clothes line. Well there's a dryer too, but we don't use it, ha ha don't want to pay for the electricity. We get billed every 2 months, and we just got the bill. It was 326 pesos, so about $26.50 for 2 months, yeah we can deal with that. Of course our heater is gas, and our hot water is gas, and I know at least for the heater we've spent 125 pesos per tank, maybe 4 times in Dec and 4 in Jan (ok 1000 pesos or $81), then the hot water heater lasts 2 months for $13....ok gas for 2 months: $94 + $26.50= $120.50 so $60.25 for gas and electric for 2 months- 2 VERY cold months ha ha. Hopefully by the end of Feb we will drop off the heater. We only use it at nite, but from about 7pm until 7am..ok 12 hours.
Anyway- we will be sharing the outside space, not a big deal- we will just have to be diligent about dog poop duty ha ha. And that's not too hard. As for the outside, I like to sit in a lunge chair and read...altho as soon as it gets warm enough I will begn to campaign for my hammock to be put up. Not as easy as I thought at first, since the trees are not string enough, Poppi will have to put a bolt in the back wall that goes across the yard and the wall of the house. Poor Poppi has a "to do" list that is growing...and I wonder how many cars, if any they will have. I'm kinda asuming at least one, that they're driving down since they are coming from San Diego. Like I said, we'll see. Maybe I'll have first impressions as early as Friday ha ha.
Although Friday I'm going out to the community center to help with inventory of the things the women make to sell at the art fairs.Today was my first Tuesday out there and it went well. Organized chaos I think; before lunch I got a few boys who were competing to do the colors, and after lunch I had a woman who really wants to learn. I worked with her for about an hour,and later this afternoon I was in this stationary stye store and I bought her an English Spanish dictionary. I will have to sneak it to her cause I don't plan on buying one for everyone, but she is so motivated, and I want to help her to help herself. We have some kid dictionaries that I donated to the center for the kids to use. Well I can feel the ice cream calling me from the freezer, so gotta go.
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